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Monday, 17 February 2014

Review: Lynne Taylor – When Lightning Strikes

Lynne
Taylor – When Lightning Strikes(Independent)

A stalwart of her local New England scene, Lynne
Taylor has been a professional musician since she was 14 years old, playing
solo and in various groupings. When comparisons to other artists are mentioned,
names like Tori Amos, Fiona Apple and Sheryl Crow are often referenced, but
there’s also a timelessness to Taylor’s best work – and there’s plenty of it to
be found on “When Lightning Strikes” - to spark memories of Buffy Sainte Marie,
Carole King and a gaggle of revered ‘70s west coast songwriters.

Her instrument of choice is the piano, though the
majority of her new songs are presented within a full band setting, where unlikely
rhythms and eclectic arrangements are explored and investigated. It makes “When
Lightning Strikes” a riveting listen, and the listener can expect nothing
except the wholly unexpected.

“Butterfly” launches the collection, and its simple,
insistent piano motif is soon added to by a half chanted / half sung vocal and
tempered stings – the effect is simultaneously stimulating, strangely languid
and utterly beguiling. It’s followed by the jaunty, country-rock-wired “Back By Suppertime”, a song and delivery that would have sat
perfectly on Gene Clark and Carla Olson’s classic “So Rebellious A Lover”
record - nice guitar solo, too.

A Spanish influence comes
to bear on “Pablo's Glue”, the longest track on the album, where Latin guitars
emphasize the narrative, and the percussion-heavy “Angel That Flew” stretches
Taylor’s vocal chords, and brings to mind aborigine mantra and primal movement.
She’s unafraid to get her hands dirty with a little political comment (“Grand Empire”) and adds to her palette with the jazz-specked
classicism of “No Words”.

In the hands of a lesser
artist “When Lightning Strikes” may
have come across as unfocussed or confused, but not so here. There’s a singular
musical vision behind these eleven tracks, and Taylor must take full credit for
delivering a super album that celebrates and rejoices in its diversity, but is
never distracted by it.